Nine Dwarf Galaxies Discovered Orbiting Milky Way

March 11, 2015 12:06 PM

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Scientists at the University of Cambridge have discovered nine new dwarf galaxies orbiting the Milky Way. It is the largest number of dwarf satellites ever discovered at once, and also marks the first discovery of dwarf galaxies in a decade. Findings may help astronomers unravel the mystery behind dark matter. Dark matter accounts for more than 85% of the universe’s total mass, but it is invisible. Dark matter makes its presence known only through the gravitational effect.

Dwarf galaxies are small celestial objects that orbit larger galaxies. The newly discovered objects are a million times less massive and a billion times dimmer than Milky Way. The closest of them is just 95,000 light years away, while the farthest is over a million light years away. All the nine can...